


Pepper Poppers

by Writing-Stardew-Valley (writingfanfic)



Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: Cute, F/M, Food, Implied/Referenced Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-01
Updated: 2018-05-01
Packaged: 2019-04-30 21:30:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,204
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14505864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/writingfanfic/pseuds/Writing-Stardew-Valley
Summary: For the prompt: 'Could I request the reader finding out Shane is having a bad day & going round WITH HIS FAVOURITE FOOD TO CHEER HIM UP <3'Of course! My scruffy baby...





	Pepper Poppers

“Coo-ey, (Y/N)!”

You turn, and smile as Marnie waves at you through the kitchen window; you grab a glass and the jug of lemonade, and she opens the door, pulling off her straw hat.

“My, it is warm out there. You’d think it was summer if not for the rain.”

“I have some lemonade for you,” you smile. “They’re growing, somehow.” Marnie beams at you, and sets down a basket.

“Now, I know you paid me for those chickens already, but I fixed up a rhubarb pie for you, and in return I would  _love_  for you to let me at your strawberries.” She smiles a little bashfully at you. “Because,  do you know, they look fantastic-”

“Marnie, you don’t even have to ask. Just… you know. Leave me some,” you grin. “Down by the scarecrow with the top hat there’s four plants, you’re welcome to anything that’s growing on them.”

“Oh, hush,” she smiles. “I don’t need that many. I’ll fill the basket and be movin’ on, it’s such a beautiful sunny day and bein’ trapped with Shane in-” She freezes, and then sighs as your eyebrow raises. “Oh, you know how… uppity Shane can be.”

“Marnie, I know how…” You pause for a moment. “…difficult he can be. What’s he doing today?”

“He’s… delicate,” she says, quietly.  _Hungover_. “Jas is out schoolin’ with Penny, so I decided I would leave him to microwave something and play his games. He’s not in work today,” she adds, as if desperate to remind you that he does work hard. You nod, feeling something in your stomach – something that you didn’t ever expect to feel for Shane, but that you have for a few weeks now. Not butterflies, but… maybe caterpillars. For now.

“That’s fair enough.” You smile at Marnie again. “You go and get those strawberries – I have something to make and then I’ll be out to chat, okay?” She nods, beaming once more, and lifts a tub out of her basket – you hurry it to the fridge, the great hulking iron beast in the corner that you can hear from your bedroom at night, and as you close the door on it, you bite your lip – and then you look up at the chillis hanging from the ceiling to dry above the fireplace, and then outside, where Marnie has stopped at the edge of the cow’s field to stroke Janis’ nose, Aretha a few feet back and lowing cautiously – you can’t see her, but you know.

And then you open the fridge again, and grab the cheese.

* * *

“I’m just going down to the woods!” you holler, and Marnie nods. “Let’s swap farms, we’ll be closer to home!”

“Sure thing!” she yells back, her grin obvious from here – you wonder if she knows what you’re doing, but you doubt it, and instead, you walk down and around the lake, enjoying the trek. It’s about an hour and a half to Marnie’s ranch, but everything’s been taken care of. If you can get someone to give you a ride back, you should definitely be back in time for the evening milking and locking everything away safely.

You can see Cindersap Forest ahead of you like a wall, the trees – you remember Seb taking his pocket knife to a branch to show you the burning-orange sap inside, and smile. You’ve been here a year – only a year, but an entire year at the same time. You’re glad you’ve fit in so well – this place has been so welcoming. As you pass between the gaps in the fence, you wonder if you’re making good time or not – it’s hard to tell, especially when you’re in this dark forest where everything looks the same – you know that Marnie’s ranch is along this trail, just sat on the edge of town, and you trail your fingers against the leaves. The bushes beyond are thick with salmonberries – it’s such an unsavoury name for such delicious fruit, and you take a step into the trees and pluck a few before carrying on along your way, the pink juice staining your fingers.

These woods are… you wonder if there’s a version of spooky that means they don’t feel  _bad_. The trees stretch up and over your head, and you spot a familiar sight – stretching high above the canopy, not far ahead of you and over to your right, is a tree with pink petals. Most of the trees here are evergreens, but even the few oak and maple trees out here cannot compare to this. This is like,  _the mothertree_ , and it rears above everything, dusting the world with rose.

You turn right, and as if magic as the trees clear Marnie’s ranch appears, the long, low red-brick building next to the enormous barn, and you hear a cow lowing inquisitively. Hopefully, you’ll have caught him before he goes to the saloon for the hair of the dog that’s repeatedly mauled him. You round the building, and knock on the door – when there is no answer, you tiptoe in.

“ _Stupid fuckin’ microwave_.”

Ah, there he is. You round the corner, and Shane jumps out of his skin as he sees you.

“What the hell are you doing here, (Y/N)?!” he snaps, and you look at him. He’s in a t-shirt and his underwear, and you suppose you should be grateful for that… not that you mind too much.

“Bad time?”

“I’m feeling tender right now,” he says, grumpily, and you nod.

“Marnie told me. So here’s something to help you.” You pull out the box, and he amazingly does not make a move to put pants on. “Are you… going to wear pants?”

“Are you gonna walk into stranger’s houses?” he counters, and you hand him the dish.

“Just made them. Doubt they’re still hot, but I bet they’re delicious,” you say, and he opens it, sniffing the pepper poppers for a moment before his eyes widen and he coughs a little. “Yeah, I grew those in the greenhouse. They’re strong, so be careful…”

He grabs one and takes a bite – just straight up bites off half of the chilli, and you laugh.

“I see you like them.”

“These are… exactly what I needed today,” he says, and then looks at you, smiling a little embarrassedly. “Uh… sorry for goin’ off on you.” You shrug, and smile at him, feeling a little red rising in your cheeks. “This is really appreciated, I swear.”

“Not a problem. I hope you like them.”

As you turn to leave, you feel him jerk forward, and he grabs your arm.

“Uh… listen, I gotta shower and stuff, but I’m gonna head back up, if you… care to wait around.” He smiles awkwardly. “I won’t be driving,” his voice falters for a moment, and then recovers, “but we can take a stroll back and I… uh… I just wanna check on the chickens and make sure Aunt Marnie gets back safe, y’hear.” You nod, and he turns around, before turning back. “Uh… sorry about the, uh… pants.”

“I am not looking,” you say, still regarding your pepper poppers, and then as he walks away, you sneak a quick look. Well… it’s not that bad a sight.


End file.
